Southington Looks To Fine Illegal Sewer Connections

Sump Pumps Can Overburden System

SOUTHINGTON — — A proposed ordinance that calls for fines on homeowners whose sump pumps and gutter drains are illegally connected to the sewers will be considered by the town council next month.

The ordinance is a key part of what eventually will be a townwide effort to eliminate the illegal connections.

Connecting a sump pump or gutter drain to the sewers can be convenient for homeowners, but town officials want to stop the practice because it increases the amount of water flowing into the town's sewage plant. That increases costs for the town, officials said.

"On an ordinary day the sewage plant takes in 4 million to 5 million gallons of water a day, but during a storm on March 14 million gallons went into the plant," said John Dobbins, chairman of the town council's sewer committee. "Where's all that extra water coming from?"

The town began its campaign after sewage backed into several homes in the area of Stonegate Road, with one homeowner reporting $14,000 of damage.

Town employees checked the sewers in that area for blockages, but found little evidence of blocks in the pipes that would cause backups. That led officials to suspect that illegal connections were to blame by putting more water into the sewer line than it could handle. Dobbins said the water flowing off the roofs of even six to eight homes can overwhelm a 10-inch sewer pipe if their gutters are connected to a sewer.

Dobbins said his committee will present its proposal to the council Sept. 13. The council must hold a hearing on the plan before it can be adopted.

The plan is for town employees to go house-to-house to inspect for illegal sewer connections. The ordinance proposes a $100 a month fine for homeowners who don't allow inspections.

If inspectors find an illegal connection, the homeowner will be given the opportunity to disconnect it. But if the homeowner refuses to do the work, the town will then fine the homeowner $100 per month until compliance. Homeowners who disconnect their sump pumps or drains from the sewers but then hook them up again would face a $500 fine in addition to the $100 per month penalty.